52-year-old brutally attacked in Kerala capital for messaging teenage girl

A 52-year-old man suffered multiple fractures after being attacked by a four-member gang for allegedly sending WhatsApp messages to a teenage girl at Thiruvallam here, police said on Sunday.

The four accused — identified as Manoj, Manu, Arjun and Ajith — were arrested from the Vithura area late Saturday night.

According to the police, Raheem, a resident of Azheekod near Nedumangad, knew the 17-year-old girl for about three years as they were associated with a cultural club in Thiruvananthapuram and occasionally chatted on WhatsApp.

On Friday, Manoj, a relative of the girl, allegedly found her chatting with Raheem and questioned her, said a police officer. He then sent a message to Raheem from the girl's mobile phone to meet at a playground in Judgemukku, Thiruvallam, on Saturday.

When Raheem arrived, a verbal altercation broke out, following which Manoj and his friends allegedly beat him with sticks, fracturing his right arm and leg and causing injuries to his face and shoulder, said police.

As per the FIR, the gang also snatched Raheem's scooter and a bag containing Rs 29,000.

Locals rushed him to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College before he was shifted to a private hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Thiruvallam police have registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 309(6) (causing hurt for robbery), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), and 118(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons).

Police said that the stolen scooter and the money have also been traced.

The accused were produced before a court on Sunday and remanded to judicial custody, a police officer said.